Over the last year, thousands of scam advertisements were purchased on Meta platforms.

ISD’s recent Dispatch details this scam, which mainly encouraged users to apply for a nonexistent ‘national concealed carry permit’ and reached millions of users. Straight Arrow reported extensively on this research in its recent piece, which highlighted ISD’s methodology and findings.

The Dispatch’s author, ISD Analyst Will DiGravio, was also interviewed by the outlet. Will discussed the impact of generative AI in these scams, explaining that “these ads are evolving, and Meta demonstrates this inconsistent moderation issue.”

“In many cases even if ads were disabled, right on the page, the page itself remains active, and would go on to keep sharing ads and run its course.”

Will explained the scam campaign’s strategy, which relies on building trust with the user by creating deepfakes of well-known figures. Will told the outlet that it is no accident that the ads are mainly aimed at vulnerable groups, such as veterans and the elderly.

“This is just one instance where these ads are clearly targeted to reach those audiences who the FTC and other independent studies have shown are frequently targeted,” Will said.

The full article is available on Straight Arrow.